Talking Tech, Tunes, and Beyond as Spotify Talks Launches in Pakistan

Today the conversation gets a little more lively as we launch the first episode of Spotify Talks in Pakistan.

Spotify Talks is a quarterly series of hour-long conversations hosted here that give Pakistani listeners the inside scoop on what’s going on in the local entertainment, music, and tech scenes. From how to keep the music industry growing to the latest trends in advertising, discussions each episode will feature a diverse panel of industry leaders, tastemakers, and creators. 

The first season kicks off with a bang as the host, actress and VJ Anoushey Ashraf, brings together artists and EQUAL Ambassadors Natasha Baig, Momina Mustehsan, and Zoha Zuberi along with Spotify Music Manager Rutaba Yaqub for a lively discussion on the ups and downs that come with being a woman in the music industry. 

For the Record sat down with Rutaba Yaqub—Spotify’s Music Manager for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan—to learn more about what listeners can expect from Spotify Talks.

Culture is close to our heart at Spotify—and by culture, we’re talking about Pakistan’s rich music scene, its talented creators, and the fans who make it possible for artists to reach new heights every day. Spotify Talks is all about that. 

Through Spotify Talks, we are leveraging our platform to bring together key industry players, tastemakers, and experts to have conversations about the latest movements across music, technology, and entertainment in Pakistan. Each episode of the digital series will cover a new topic, and we hope that our viewers leave feeling inspired by the amazing stories our guests will share. 

You can expect candid and engaging conversations among experts with varying backgrounds. Each episode touches on hard-hitting topics important to Pakistan, such as women in music, piracy, cultivating local talent, the latest trends in advertising, authenticity in the digital age, and more. 

Our first episode is a celebration of women in music, reflecting on their triumphs and challenges and looking at how EQUAL Pakistan contributed to the discovery of women’s voices around the globe. 

On International Women’s Day this year, we launched the EQUAL Pakistan playlist to highlight the importance of equity for women in music. It is already challenging to pursue a career in music in Pakistan, let alone embark on this journey as a woman where platforms never existed to amplify the music careers of Pakistani women. 

Every year on Women’s Day in March, we hear a lot of noise about giving equal rights to women, but this noise is time-bound. Therefore, keeping this in mind, our goal is to make that noise throughout the year, giving the opportunity to all women in music from singers to producers. 

Since the launch of EQUAL Pakistan six months ago, the program’s dedicated playlist has seen a 63% increase in streams by listeners in Pakistan. And fans from all over the globe are streaming Pakistani women artists at full volume, from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to Canada. 

We are proud to say that women artists added to the EQUAL Pakistan playlist are about 20 times more likely to be discovered by new fans. 

We hope that Pakistani women artists keep creating music and have their work seen and heard—not just in Pakistan, but all over the globe. Seeing more women in music will motivate more women to pursue careers in the field, without hesitation.

As Pakistan’s music industry continues to evolve, providing a nurturing environment for women artists and supporting them will be crucial. We have plenty of phenomenal talent coming out of the country, and with EQUAL, we will continue inspiring and encouraging our listeners to play their music at full volume. 

This is just the beginning. 

See what everybody’s talking about by tuning in to the EQUAL Pakistan playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXdpfEkksq5CO